


None So Blind

by Schnaucl (Onetrackmind)



Category: Numb3rs
Genre: Incest, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-07-24
Updated: 2008-07-24
Packaged: 2017-11-21 02:59:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,942
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/592688
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Onetrackmind/pseuds/Schnaucl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Billy promises Charlie that his birthday will change his life.</p>
            </blockquote>





	None So Blind

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to my lovely beta spikedluv

"So where are we going?"   
  
"Patience, Charlie," Billy said, grinning. "I promise you, this trip will change both our lives."   
  
"You're uh--you're not driving us to Massachusetts, are you?"   
  
Billy laughed, more than a little amused at the slight panic in Charlie's voice. He glanced over at him and squeezed his knee. "Relax. I'm not abducting you for a big gay wedding. I suspect your dad and your brother would have something to say about that."   
  
Charlie snorted. "You got that right. You'd think coming out would have bought me more than a month without him asking when I was going to get married and adopt. Do you have any idea how often he mentions surrogate mothers?"   
  
"Why do you think I'm staying on the road?"   
  
Charlie stuck out his tongue. "Coward."   
  
"When it comes to the Eppes family? You got that right." If Charlie noticed the slight tension in Billy's voice he didn't comment. There was a moment of silence and then Billy said, "You know, if I were really abducting you in order to elope we could just stop anywhere in your great state."   
  
"Well, we could, but I'm pretty sure it would stay valid in Massachusetts and I'm not as sure the same can be said of California. Talk to me after the election. Not--you know, that I'm suggesting--"   
  
Billy laughed again. "You're so easy."   
  
"You sure you can't give me a hint about where we're going? It's just--you know, it's _your_ birthday, I feel like I should be the one planning something."   
  
"Don't worry about it. Really. I've got everything all planned out. Besides, if we stayed in L.A. someone probably would have thrown some horrible over the hill party and that I can do without, thank you very much."   
  
"Oh, so that's the real reason for this trip. You want to avoid an embarrassing birthday party. Does that mean I should throw out the decorations I packed?"   
  
"Depends. What did you bring?"   
  
They bickered amiably for a while until eventually Charlie's eyelids grew heavy and his responses were a little farther apart.   
  
* * *   
  
Several hours later Billy glanced over and found Charlie blinking. "Hey, sleepyhead. We're almost there."   
  
"Where are we?" Charlie asked, looking out the window in confusion.   
  
"Colorado."   
  
"Colorado?" Charlie repeated, as though he wasn't quite sure he'd heard Billy right. "What's in Colorado?"   
  
"A little cabin in the woods. Nice and private."   
  
"So no one can hear me scream?" Charlie asked, voice low and husky.   
  
"Now you're thinking."   
  
He reached over to ruffle Charlie's hair. "Hey!" Charlie said, batting his hand playfully. "So seriously, why Colorado?"   
  
"Seriously, because there's a nice cabin in the woods and there's privacy. Why, do you have some prejudice against Colorado that I'm unaware of?"   
  
"No, it just seems a little out of the way is all."   
  
"And it wasn't on some list that you created using math to determine the most likely areas I'd take you for vacation?"   
  
"No."   
  
Billy sneaked another glance and sure enough Charlie was pouting. He laughed again and squeezed Charlie's knee.   
  
A few minutes later they pulled into a nearly hidden driveway. Charlie frowned, apparently noticing the vehicle that was already there ahead of them. "I thought you said this would be private. Wait--isn't that Don's car?"   
  
"Yes, it is," Billy said quietly. He turned off the engine and released his seatbelt before turning to face Charlie.   
  
"What is he--you knew he'd be here? Billy, what's going on? If Don was going to meet us why didn't he just come with us?"   
  
"You remember that conversation we had a few weeks ago? The one when I was in Las Vegas?"   
  
Charlie's brows furrowed in that look he got whenever he was trying to recall something. "That--oh. _Oh._ "   
  
"Yeah. That one about our deepest, darkest fantasy."   
  
"But I thought--you mean Don _agreed_ to this?" Charlie asked. Billy couldn't help but smile at the scandalized tone in Charlie's voice.   
  
"Yeah. Well, you only turn 39 once. And you know Don and I were together back in fugitive recovery."   
  
"Well, yeah, but--I mean--did he know that I was part of your fantasy, too?"   
  
Now Charlie sounded--something--and Billy realized he must be wondering if Don thought Billy was going to cheat on Charlie and had agreed to meet him anyway. "No, Charlie. No. He knows you're part of the deal. Besides, you think Don wouldn't kick my ass if I thought about cheating on you?"   
  
"And he _agreed_ to this?" Charlie repeated incredulously.   
  
"Yeah, Don agreed. But look, if you'd rather not--I know you agreed only in the hypothetical, and if you don't want to I'm sure Don is fine with just having dinner and spending some time together. And I'm fine with that. I won't be disappointed if you say no." At Charlie's look he added a sheepish, "Okay, I won't be disappointed _much._ But I'll really be okay, Charlie. I love you, and I don't want to hurt you."   
  
Charlie was quiet, thinking things over and Billy allowed himself to hope that he'd been wrong, that Charlie would decide that while it had been fine in the abstract he wasn't really interested in having sex with Don in reality. He allowed himself to hope that despite what Billy suspected, Billy was the one that Charlie wanted, the _only_ one that Charlie wanted. But even as he allowed himself to hope Charlie was slowly nodding his head. "Okay. Okay. If that's--if you're sure."   
  
"Yeah," he said, voice a little tight with emotion. "Yeah, I'm sure."   
  
"Okay then." Charlie unhooked his seatbelt and leaned over to give Billy a kiss. It was a little awkward because of the angle, but still sweet. "Happy birthday, Billy."   
  
"Thanks."   
  
They got out of the car and Billy was unsurprised to see Don appear outside the cabin as soon as the car doors opened. He'd no doubt been watching them through the window ever since they pulled up.   
  
Don looked good. He was dressed in his regular tight jeans and a crimson sweater that Billy was sure would be soft to the touch. "I was beginning to think you'd changed your mind," Don said lightly.   
  
"Nah. Just filling Charlie in on the plan."   
  
Don snorted. "Figures. You have hours to tell him on the drive and you wait until you're actually here. So how about it, Chuck? Is it going to be dinner or something more?" It didn't escape Billy's attention that Don's body tensed a little as he asked the question and it wasn't until the end that he actually met Charlie's gaze.   
  
Charlie licked his lips, but Billy knew the difference now between Charlie's self-conscious gestures, which that had been, and when he was trying to be sexy. "I think--I think something more. If---you're really okay with it."   
  
"Hey, a man only turns 39 once, right? It would be selfish not to let him indulge his fantasy."   
  
He was sure Don intended the words to come out lightly, but they sounded a little strained to his ear. "If you guys are having second thoughts, it's okay."   
  
"Oh, I've already gone through second thoughts. And third and fourth ones," Don said. "But I know what I want. What you want."   
  
Charlie nodded.   
  
"So, need some help bringing in your stuff?"   
  
* * *  
  
Dinner was mostly quiet. There was an underlying tension of course. Don and Charlie kept sneaking looks at each other, and occasionally at Billy.   
  
"So did you two bring a cake?" Don asked.   
  
"The cake can wait. I was thinking of a different kind of dessert," Billy said. "Last chance to back out. No hard feelings."   
  
Charlie reached over and took his hand, squeezing gently. "I'm in."   
  
"Me, too," Don said.   
  
"Then shall we?" Billy rose, taking Charlie with him. Don flanked his other side and they moved into the bedroom. Billy closed the door behind them. They weren't in any danger of anyone walking in on them, but it still felt safer, more intimate, with the door closed. Besides, he knew Charlie preferred to have the door closed when possible.   
  
Charlie and Don were staring awkwardly at each other. "Relax," Billy murmured. "Trust me." He pulled Charlie to him and gave him a long, thorough kiss. He slipped his tongue inside his mouth and cupped the back of his head with his free hand. He kept the kiss going until Charlie made a soft, needy sound in the back of his throat.   
  
After he released him, letting himself feel a little smug about the slightly dazed look on Charlie's face, Billy turned to Don and gave him a kiss that was a little rough, more demanding. It has been years since he'd kissed Don, and while kissing Charlie sometimes reminded him of kissing Don, the truth was they were very different people. Each with their own style. Even if they could both be demanding little bastards. Billy grinned into the kiss and opened his mouth, letting Don explore and taste his brother on Billy's tongue.   
  
When they broke apart Billy smiled and licked his lips. "Now you two."   
  
They were tentative at first, trying to find the right angle, trying to be careful with each other, both of them waiting to see if the other would pull away in disgust. Billy could _see_ the moment they both gave in, he didn't need the soft groan from either man to tell him when it was. The kiss may have started tentative, but it was soon all about long repressed need and desire. Charlie was already tugging on Don's shirt as his brother reached to undo Charlie's pants.   
  
Billy put his arms around Charlie and kissed the nape of his neck, earning a shiver and a heartfelt groan. Charlie tilted his head back and Billy claimed his mouth in a fierce, possessive kiss, trying to chase away his brother's taste.   
  
It wasn't long before they were all naked, a mess of tangled limbs and bare skin, questing hands and hungry mouths. Charlie and Don quickly lost whatever inhibitions they had about touching each other and there was almost no discussion about who would do what to whom. They all went with whatever felt right, and frankly, they were all too horny and desperate to have anything like a rational discussion. So Billy fucked Don, driving him into Charlie. Their fucking was frantic, completely lacking in grace or even tenderness. All three of them were going to end up with bruises and hickies, but who cared when it felt so damn good? Billy didn't let himself think about anything but the pleasure and the soft cries and moans of the brothers Eppes.   
  
Round two had all of the tenderness that the first round had lacked. Billy took care to memorize the way Charlie felt under his hands, the way he tasted, his soft and not so soft sounds of pleasure and need. He wanted to remember the whispered "yes" "please" "more" and "Billys!" He especially wanted to remember the occasional "I love you." He wanted to remember how Don felt inside him, how he made him feel full and how Don had managed to remember all of Billy's hot spots all these years later.   
  
When they were finished, Billy and Charlie too exhausted to even think about moving, Don got up and got a washcloth and disposed of the condoms. He slid back into bed behind Billy, gathering him into his arms just as Billy wrapped Charlie into his.   
  
Charlie snuggled back against him and gave him a sloppy, sleepy kiss. "Happy birthday, Billy. Was a good present."   
  
"Yes, it was."   
  
"You were right. Changed my life."   
  
"Yeah," Billy said, throat tight. He held Charlie a little tighter and kissed his temple.   
  
"Go to sleep."   
  
"M'kay. Love you."   
  
"I love you, too," he whispered. He lay awake for a few minutes, holding Charlie close, but eventually sleep claimed him.   
  
* * *  
  
Billy woke early the next morning and carefully slipped out of bed. He got dressed and put the coffee on, rubbing his eyes. When the coffee was finished he poured some of it into a mug and poured the rest of it into a travel thermos.   
  
"Billy?"   
  
The soft voice startled him more than it should have.   
  
"Hey, Charlie," he replied, keeping his voice low so that Don at least could still sleep.   
  
Charlie looked at him, curls mussed from sex and sleep, eyelids still heavy but his face confused. Billy held himself still and Charlie crossed over to him, stopping just inches away. When Billy made no move to touch him, kiss him, Charlie frowned. "Last night--that second time. It felt like goodbye," Charlie said slowly.   
  
"That's because it was," Billy said quietly.   
  
Charlie's face fell. "Billy, did I--I thought you wanted--did I do something?"   
  
"No, Charlie. No. It's not--" Billy sighed, wishing this conversation could have waited until later, until he'd had his coffee, at least. But then, he'd known it would have to be sooner rather than later. If Charlie hadn't woke up on his own he'd have had to wake him up to explain and he couldn't have waited that much longer.   
  
"When we first got together, we were both using each other as a substitute for Don." Charlie opened his mouth to protest, but Billy shook his head. "No, we were. You're his brother and I was his old partner and both of us--we took what we could get since we couldn't have Don. The thing is--" he paused, cleared his throat and forced the words out. "The thing is, somewhere along the line, I fell in love with you. Not because you were a substitute for Don, but because of who you were. You were the one I was always thinking about on the road, you were the reason I came to L.A. as often as I could. It was you, not Don. And I had hoped that eventually the same thing would happen for you. But it never did."   
  
"Billy--"   
  
"Please, don't. Just--let me finish. I think, over the last year and a half, you've come to love me," Billy said, finally looking at Charlie again.   
  
Charlie gave a short, sharp nod.   
  
"But I don't think you're _in_ love with me, even if you want to be. And I think you do--or at least, you did--want to be in love with me. But the truth is that Don is the one you've always wanted. And Don wanted you, too. The third time we were together, Don called out your name by mistake. I didn't know who you were then; I didn't know he had a brother named Charlie and he passed it off as some girl he used to date. But when I came back to L.A. that first time I figured out who he'd really been talking about. You both wanted each other, but you're brothers, and good people, and neither one of you was ever going to do anything about it unless someone else gave you permission."   
  
"So last night was--"   
  
"Yeah. It was a fantasy of mine, too, but--really it was about getting the two of you together. And you should be together, Charlie. You both want each other, need each other. I won't pretend that it will be easy, obviously no one else can ever know. And I'll be honest, it's going to hurt like hell for a while when I see you two together. But--you deserve each other, you both deserve to be with someone who loves you, who is in love with you. And the thing is, so do I. And as much as I wish that that person was you or you and Don--it's not. And I don't think it ever will be. So I set this up and I hope it can help you two find your way. I've already got another fugitive to look out for."   
  
Charlie was looking at him like he was still lost. And hurting. "Billy, I'm sorry I--"   
  
"I know you are, Charlie. I know. And it's a shitty thing for me to do, to just decide unilaterally what should happen, I know that. But I also know that you and Don should be together and I deserve someone who will love me the same way the two of you love each other, if only you'd stop being stubborn long enough to see it. So go be with him and I'll try and swing by L.A. again in a couple of months. I still want you to be part of my life, Charlie. Just--not like we have been."   
  
Charlie nodded and reached for Billy, pulling him into a tight, fierce hug. "Thank you," Charlie said, his voice rough with emotion. "Thank you. I do love you, just--"   
  
"Not enough," Billy finished, his voice as rough as Charlie's. He gave Charlie one last long, tender kiss. "Take care of yourself, Charlie."   
  
He looked up to where Don was standing in the bedroom doorway. "And so help me, if you cheat on him I will hunt you down."   
  
"I know," Don said, and his voice was suspiciously rough, too. "I'm counting on it."   
  
"Just so as we're clear then."   
  
Don nodded and crossed the room to give him a kiss. "Thank you," he said quietly.   
  
"You're welcome. Be good to each other, I'll give you a call in a few days." Billy left before one or all of them said something embarrassing. He drove several miles before he pulled over and wiped at his wet eyes.


End file.
